Frequently Asked Questions

We recently switched to an online registration system with Athletics. Take a look at this handout for full instructions on how to sign up, book and check into sessions, and directions for getting to the new studio!

Regrettably, we are currently only able to offer memberships to current University of Waterloo students or members of the University community that have purchased a Campus Recreation Membership due to University policy. If you are not a current student, or are on coop, you must purchase your campus recreation membership before you register with us. Memberships can be obtained from the athletics office in the PAC. As a guideline, only the following are eligible for such memberships: 

• University Faculty
• University Staff
• University Alumni

Unfortunately, daily guests passes are no longer accepted for any Athletics club. 

Click here for costs, membership benefits, and our refund policy.

All UW Athletics COVID regulations apply to our club. All participants must have submitted the proof of vaccination and completed their daily COVID check-in survey. As per the current Athletics' policy for in-persons activities, participants may remove their masks when participating in their activity, but must resume wearing a mask when taking a break or in the hallways. Participants are of course free to wear a mask the whole time if they prefer. 

• Please either wear socks or clean shoes. Note that rubber soles may prevent you from spinning on the floor. Dance shoes are not required but may help you dance more easily at higher levels. We do not recommend that our beginner students purchase dance shoes  (until you know you love the sport), but if you are interested, please ask us for some recommendations. 
• You don't have to dress up for practice. Comfort is much more important than fashion. Tight clothing is not recommended as dance requires a wide range of motion. 

 Hygiene

• Please consider your partners before coming to practice as you will be working  quite closely with them. They will be aware of the smell of your breath and whether you are wearing deodorant or not. Please wash your hands carefully before practice as well. PAC Studios now have hand sanitizer outside of the main door to each studio for your convenience. 

Noise

• No talking while the instructor teaches. The studios have very bad acoustics and even small chatter can be disruptive! Much like the movies or lectures, turn off your cell phones too.   

Partners

• Some of you may have signed up as a couple, others joined as individuals. We have asked the instructors to ensure plenty of partner rotations occur throughout the lesson. Changing partners is extremely helpful for  improving your dancing, it will help you learn to lead and follow, you will become familiar with other club members and make new friends. 
• If you are not comfortable with partner exchanges, or there is someone you are uncomfortable dancing with please talk to an executive representative prior to the beginning of class. You are not required to dance with anyone with whom you do not feel comfortable! The point is to have fun.  From time to time there is an imbalance of leads and follows. When someone has courteously danced an exercise alone, please be proactive to include them in the next rotation. Everyone deserves an equal chance! 

​Punctuality

• Please be on time and avoid missing classes. Each class builds on the previous material and missed classes may be difficult to recover. If you are  late or miss a class, please don't expect the instructor to repeat the  material just for you, as this is unfair to other dancers in the class.  We have made an effort to arrange as much instruction as time allows and expect our members to respect the time allotted to other classes. 
• If you are not enrolled in the class following the one you have just completed, we request that you to convene in the hall to make way for the new class. We hope people will be conversational and make a point to meet each other after class, but not in such a way as to disrupt the following class.   We recommend that you show up at least 10 minutes early for each class, to warm up. Even if there is no studio space to warm up in, you can stretch and put your shoes on in the hallway, without interrupting the ongoing classes! 

• Check out some videos and descriptions of each dance in our "New to Ballroom?" tab in the menu! The five dances of each style (Ballroom and Latin) each have their own unique character and they are all extremely fun!
• Speaking from experience, we recommend that all students learn the steps of the leader AND follower, especially as a beginner. We highly encourage this as this will let you learn what the lead/follow is expecting/experiencing and will also make you a better dancer!

Introduction Classes

• We recommend that all newcomers (and those with non-ballroom dance experience) start with our beginner classes. Here you will learn the fundamental techniques and floorcraft of ballroom and Latin dancing. It is always better to have a good foundation!

Intermediate Classes

• Depending on the dances offered and your skill level, we recommend  that you take intermediate lessons only after you have a good mastery of the beginner steps (at least one term) . 
• Only exception is when we offer Paso Doble, Foxtrot and Viennese Waltz as we will not assume prior knowledge, but expect some ballroom dance experience
• If you have been away from co-op, we often run open practices before our classes start. You can use this time to refresh your memory and see if you're comfortable with the beginner steps,
• We rotate dances at the intermediate level, as well as the steps we teach. You will definitely learn new things, even if you repeat at the intermediate level. 

Advanced Classes

• We'd recommend you have two or more terms at an intermediate level (or equivalent) before moving to advanced
• There is a much stronger focus on technique at the advanced level. 
• Otherwise, you should regularly go to practices to catch up to make the most out of the class.

Other Notes

• If you've taken ballroom lessons before and know what levels you've taken:      
  • In general, we teach beginner and pre-bronze steps in our Beginner classes; 
  • Pre-bronze and bronze in our intermediate classes, 
  • Bronze and silver  in our advance classes. Gold and open steps may be introduced depending on time and class progression
• Talk to an exec if you're unsure!

Though the primary focus of the club is recreational, many execs and members  participate in collegiate ballroom competitions, often in the states! There are events for complete beginners to experienced dancers. If you're interested, please contact an exec as soon as possible!

Entry level exec positions are the Practice Coordinator and Operations Coordinator. All exec must have been active with the club for at least one term. After becoming familiar with executive duties as a practice/operations coordinator, members can progress to take on other duties on the board. If any positions should become open, information will be posted on the recent events page and announced to the membership. Feel free to email us and make an inquiry if you're interested.